Who would serve as 13th Age-style icons if you were to run a Ghostwalk campaign using 13th Age?

You can learn the basics about 13th Age icons here: http://www.13thagesrd.com/icons/. They aren't just important as a means of tying PCs to the setting and providing the GM with hooks for inspiration and improvisation, but they provide mechanical crunch, too.

Hmm. I'm not an expert on Icons, as I don't play 13th Age, but I think the yuan-ti of the Demiplane of Coil would count as an Icon.

In the Ghostwalk world, yuan-ti do not seem to have souls (not in the same way as humanoids and animals) and do not manifest as ghosts, after they die. They do not like the fact that others do manifest as ghosts, and have been plotting to invade and take over Manifest.

Unfortunately, for the yuan-ti, Coil connects to the Ghostwalk world smack in the middle of an elven nation, called Sura-Kiri. The elves don't want to admit they are having problems defending the forests of their homelands, so have been secretly fighting the yuan-ti (and struggling to hold them back.).

Hmm. I'm not an expert on Icons, as I don't play 13th Age, but I think the yuan-ti of the Demiplane of Coil would count as an Icon.

If they're a source of a fair amount of the conflict in the setting, then they'd make a great icon. While it's not required, icons are often named after the leader of a faction or organization, rather than the group. By any chance, do the yuan-ti have a leader? If so that would likely be the ideal icon.

Would the elves that you described be another source of an icon? Is the fight between the yuan-ti and the elves a source of adventure? Or generally just something that's happening off to the side -- more of a footnote?

Hmm. I'm not an expert on Icons, as I don't play 13th Age, but I think the yuan-ti of the Demiplane of Coil would count as an Icon.

If they're a source of a fair amount of the conflict in the setting, then they'd make a great icon. While it's not required, icons are often named after the leader of a faction or organization, rather than the group. By any chance, do the yuan-ti have a leader? If so that would likely be the ideal icon.

I am away from my Ghostwalk book. Ghostwalk is fairly light on some of the details (which IIRC is similar to the Dragon Empire of 13th Age). I'll have to see if there is a named leader.

Maybe I'll start a topic to discuss the yuan-ti culture in Ghostwalk. I know a few other yuan-ti sources have been mentioned as things that people could take ideas from, but if Coil has a leadership structure, imported yuan-ti content should be adapted to fit in with that.

Would the elves that you described be another source of an icon? Is the fight between the yuan-ti and the elves a source of adventure? Or generally just something that's happening off to the side -- more of a footnote?

Ghostwalk is focused on a city (called Manifest) where some sort of supernatural effect causes ghosts to manifest (become solid) and enables them to interact with living people. Around that city are a number of countries that surround Manifest and who have assisted it or competed with it, in the past.

The nation of Sura-Kiri is a fair distance away from Manifest, and a GM could probably avoid using it, but if the elves are defeated the yuan-ti would be able to get a lot closer to their goal of invading the city of Manifest.

And if anyone wanted to go and deal with the yuan-ti threat at it's source (and maybe try to close the gates between the Material Plane and Coil) they would have to pass through Sura-Kiri to get there.

I think, from the limited Sura-Kiri canon, that the elves don't want to let people into their land (or ask for help) because they don't want to seem weak. So "saving the world from the yuan-ti" might need to involve a bit of diplomacy to get the elves on side.

There is a map in this topic (Sean K. Reynold's sketch map found - it's the second link in the top post) that you can compare against the "official map" to see how much forest is in the land around Manifest.

Perhaps humans and other humanoids cut down some of the trees in the past and the elves are fairly suspicious of the nations around them. I'll have to check the book, when I get home, to see what their motivations would be.

Ghostwalk is fairly light on some of the details (which IIRC is similar to the Dragon Empire of 13th Age).

Ghostwalk is focused on a city (called Manifest) where some sort of supernatural effect causes ghosts to manifest (become solid) and enables them to interact with living people. Around that city are a number of countries that surround Manifest and who have assisted it or competed with it, in the past.

Given the relatively un-detailed nature of the setting, perhaps another 13th Age related question could be "where in the Dragon Empire would you place Manifest and its surrounding area?"

Ghostwalk is fairly light on some of the details (which IIRC is similar to the Dragon Empire of 13th Age).

Ghostwalk is focused on a city (called Manifest) where some sort of supernatural effect causes ghosts to manifest (become solid) and enables them to interact with living people. Around that city are a number of countries that surround Manifest and who have assisted it or competed with it, in the past.

Given the relatively un-detailed nature of the setting, perhaps another 13th Age related question could be "where in the Dragon Empire would you place Manifest and its surrounding area?"

Good question.

Ghostwalk is set in a peninsular, so needs to be set on the east coast.

Is there anywhere on the right (east) side of the map where additional land could be bolted on without a reboot (of either the Ghostwalk map of the Dragon Empire map)?

If you tweak the orientation of the Ghostwalk map, Throne Point on the 13th Age map may be a good spot. It's near the center of the map, on the north shore of the Midland Sea. The only details provided about Throne Point are related to what's beneath the surface (yuan-ti ruins and serpent-themed living dungeons). There's no information about Threshold, the island just off the coast. Perhaps that could become Xaphan from the Ghostwalk map.

How much is known about the body of water on the east of the Ghostwalk map? How much is known about what lies beneath Manifest and the surrounding areas? If there are no conflicts, it might be easily slid into this spot in the Dragon Empire's map.

If you tweak the orientation of the Ghostwalk map, Throne Point on the 13th Age map may be a good spot. It's near the center of the map, on the north shore of the Midland Sea. The only details provided about Throne Point are related to what's beneath the surface (yuan-ti ruins and serpent-themed living dungeons). There's no information about Threshold, the island just off the coast. Perhaps that could become Xaphan from the Ghostwalk map.

I wasn't thinking about the middle, but you are right. That is an excellent fit. Especially if you have yuan-ti ruins there.

How much is known about the body of water on the east of the Ghostwalk map? How much is known about what lies beneath Manifest and the surrounding areas? If there are no conflicts, it might be easily slid into this spot in the Dragon Empire's map.

I don't think much is known about the body of water to the east of the Ghostwalk map.

We do know that ships arrive at a couple of the ports on the coast, carrying bodies that are being transported to Manifest. And we do know that a couple of the port towns try to avoid that trade. So I'd guess that a high number of bodies are going to Manifest to be taken down to the Deathwarden Dwarves to be sent over to the True Afterlife.